NEWS

Dying Yamuna sold down the river?

Source: The Pioneer, Date: March , 2015

Over 80 per cent of
the pollution in the Yamuna river is caused by the drains in the national
Capital out of which the ones at Najafgarh and Shahdara are the biggest
contributors, states the “environment” chapter of the Master Plan for Delhi
(MPD) 2021, which was approved last month by the Delhi Development Authority
(DDA). The master plan while slamming concerned authorities for turning Delhi
into the biggest contributor of pollutants to the river has given an
eight-point action plan to rescue the dying river. The recommendations include
refurbishment of three major trunk sewers and ensuring treatment of the two
drains, among others. Out of about 7,200 km of Delhi’s total sewerage network
under the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the city has only about 130 km of trunk
sewerage system. Describing the poor existing infrastructure of Delhi’s sewage
system, the master plan further states that “nearly 91 km of sewer lines are in
highly dilapidated condition and have been silted to the extent of 50 per
cent-70 per cent at different stretches.”